A new species of plant louse from mid-Tertiary Dominican amber (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) with adjacent plant leaves

Abstract

A new species of plant-louse from Dominican amber is described as Tuthillia maculosa sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psylloidea). Features of the new species are: eight narrow, annulated, antennal flagellomeres of variable length with the first flagellomere longest, fore wings with a Rs-M crossvein, long claval suture, elongate pterostigma, veins R, M and Cu each with a single branch and mottled forewings. Hind wing long, expanded apically, with well-developed Rs and one branched M vein. Tarsi with two unequal segments, the apical tarsal segment longer than the basal. Diagonal spur arising from tip of apical tarsomere extends between well-developed, widely diverging pulvilli. The distribution of Rs-M crossveins in extant and extinct plant lice dating back to the Permian is documented. The plant-louse may have been feeding on adjacent plant leaves.